Editor and Publisher Reports

Check Out DFW proudly states on the site that it is: “The first-of-its-kind real estate and local recommendations product that helps locals live more enjoyable lives.” Launched in the fall of 2021 in a very media crowded Dallas/ Ft. Worth metroplex market, Jed Williams, who spent one year as Chief Revenue Officer at Ken Doctor's experimental start-up Lookout Local and close to four years managing strategy and innovation for the Local Media Association, teamed up with well-known industry veteran David Arkin (who led content initiatives for Gatehouse, Local Media Association, Community Impact Newspapers and others) to go all-in with sponsored content in this new venture. Arkin is Check Out DFW’s chief content officer, and Williams is chief revenue officer.     Right now, the platform focuses on the area’s most affluent and growing communities offering content "verticals" for each area defined as Schools, Subdivisions, Resources, Guides, Things to do, Profiles, New to town, New to Texas and more. Plus, there is

In a recent post from the American Press Institute, they cited: "Concentrated efforts to highlight diversity are necessary for reaching new audiences and staying relevant to younger changing audiences. Readers pay attention to the content that speaks to or serves their identity. Diversity is a journalism imperative.” The API goes on to add that more diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) within the news publishing industry is imperative because: "Without accounting for the range of lived experiences, we fail to serve parts of our communities. Journalism, in its truest form, should be produced for the benefit of all, not only those who wield a particular power, class or authority.” In a recent press release, Editor & Publisher (E&P) announced a new partnership with The Diversity Pledge Institute (DPI), a nonprofit organization addressing newsroom diversity by working with employers to improve hiring and retention of journalists of color and by identifying skilled journalists of color and preparing them

On Nov. 18, 2020, the Del Rio News-Herald printed its final edition leaving this border town of 35,000+ without a local news outlet. But just one month later, a weekly free tabloid entitled The 830 Times (named after the local area code) appeared throughout the town and surrounding Val Verde County. The new newspaper grew out of a then 5-month-old entertainment-based local website started by 56-year-old air force veteran Joel Langton. Langton relocated to the area 16 years before when he was assigned as a public affairs officer at nearby Laughlin Air Force Base. Joel states in his LinkedIn profile: “I've got 30 years with the Air Force in Public Affairs where I've been involved in media, internal communications and many consider my strength to be community engagement. However, I've got plenty of experience in all of it, and I'm a big proponent of causes bigger than myself.” Today the Times publishes more than 40 pages a week, with a 50%+ ad count. The newspaper gained national attention uncovering how a prop

The Journalism Competition and Preservation Act (JCPA) hopes to bring big tech to the bargaining table with U.S. news publishers. On this 122nd episode of E&P Reports, Danielle Coffey, executive vice president and general counsel for the News Media Alliance (NMA), and economist Dr. Hal Singer, managing director, Econ One discuss why this legislation is urgently needed and offer advance insight into this week’s  Congressional hearing before the Senate's Antitrust Committee, where the JCPA will be debated and Dr. Singer will be testifying.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median number of years an employee works for a company is four years and one month. The "exception to that rule" might be Kurt Jackson, who has worked atSoftware Consulting Services (SCS), according to his Linkedin profile: "28 years and ten months." Kurt started his career in news publishing in 1989 as a circulation executive for the Journal Register Company. As new digital technology was evolving, Kurt's passion for helping innovate compelled him to work in the vendor space. He first traveled to hundreds of newspapers as an installation specialist of advertising systems and eventually found a home as VP of operations at SCS, then owned by Martha and Richard Cichellii. He has been there since. In September of 2021, the  Cichelli’s sold the company to him, stating, "We are so happy to be able to turn the company over to Kurt who knows the industry so well..” In this 121st episode of "E&P Reports," Publisher Mike Blinder chats with industry technology v

In this 120th episode of “E&P Reports” American Journalism Project (AJP) CEO Sarabeth Berman and AJP’s Co-Founder and Vice President for Portfolio Success Anna Nirmala talk about several AJP grants they recently awarded including $1.6 million given to Block Club Chicago and their contribution to the 20 million in seed being given to a new, nonprofit, Houston based local news outlet. Joining in on the discussion is Block Club Chicago’s Publisher and Co-Founder Shamus Toomey and Co-Executive Editor and Co-Founder Stephanie Lulay.  

Borrell Associates' latest study: 2022 Local Automotive Advertising Outlook, released on Monday, Jan 7, 2022, predicts significant changes in this highly lucrative media advertising category for the next few years. Within the 30-page report, 18 charts and graphs reveal that local dealers spent an estimated $8.7 billion on advertising in 2021, a 15% increase over 2020. In 2022, the forecast is for an 8.8% increase in ad spend. However, due to a "steep decline" in available inventory to sell, the dealers will be using these dollars to "rebrand themselves, educate consumers on what their stores have to offer and drive buyers to their websites to interact. The report states that “the new advertising environment is shifting from excitement around new cars on the lot and manufacturer’s rebates – both of which are in short supply – to other things. That opened up new opportunities to advertise.” Some of these new reasons that dealers will be advertising will include: Buying back consumer vehicles, meeting online bu

  E&P devoted its January 2022 cover story (“At the front lines, on the homefront”) to memorializing the January 6th assault on the nation’s Capitol and to inform our readers — news publishers — about what it’s like to report on domestic extremism; what the perils are to journalists; how to prepare for potentially violent or dangerous conflicts; and why these stories matter nationally and within our local communities. In this 118th episode of E&P Reports, E&P Publisher Mike Blinder is joined by Roxanne Cooper, executive editor and publisher at Raw Story and two of the journalists who shared their reporting experiences with E&P contributor Gretchen Peck for the cover story — Jordan Green, staff reporter at Raw Story, and Christopher Jones, a former U.S. Marine turned Report for America journalist who now reports for the GroundTruth Project and 100 Days in Appalachia, the 2021 recipient of the Edward R. Murrow Award for hard news reporting.

As newspapers’ online presence matures, many still struggle with monetizing it. Often, an outside perspective is where new ideas are born. They disrupt the norm and reveal new monetization opportunities. That realization is how Ryan Johnston, a former commercial real estate professional, and Ryan Heafy, a former engineer, envisioned 6AM City. Its 24 editions (currently) in most regions of the U.S.,  joins Axios Local, Patch, WhereBy.Us and other news disruptors in the local digital newsletter space.  In one sense, 6AM City integrates news and social media in a new way, and in another, it may be a precursor of a local news platform that could reside in the Metaverse. In this 117th episode of "E&P Reports" Publisher Mike Blinder speaks with 6AM City CEO Ryan Johnston about the growth of this local news "disruptor" that now publishes newsletters 5 days-a-week in 24 U.S. cities.   

As live conferences return and industry moguls get a chance to mingle again, there is no question that Borrell Miami on March 6-8th at the Miami Hilton will once again be a "who's who" of C-suite executives from all sectors of media. This year's event is entitled "The Path to 2032," with a predicted audience of 300 or more, and promotes itself online as the “skip the hype/follow the money” conference with “crisp information that flows from the stage that’s chocked full of new data.” E&P is proud to be the media publication sponsor and is offering readers a $200 discount code of “EP200” when they register at: https://borrellmiami.borrellassociates.com. In addition, all who attend will receive a complimentary full-year subscription to Editor & Publisher Magazine. In this 116th episode of E&P Reports, Publisher Mike Blinder welcomes Gordon Borrell, CEO of Borrell Associates, who offers a preview of what to expect at Borrell Miami 2022.          

In this 115th episode of "E&P Reports," Mike Blinder the Publisher of E&P chats with David Chavern, President / CEO of the News Media Alliance and Lee Wolverton, VP News/ Executive Editor at HD Media about the latest developments in the class action lawsuit naming both Google and Facebook as defendants in a federal antitrust lawsuit. Also on the panel is Gretchen Peck E&P's Contributing Editor.

Howard Owens published his first newspaper in fourth grade, which is likely why soon after graduating from Point Loma Nazarene University with a degree in literature, he and a partner became owners of The Beacon, a biweekly newspaper in the City of San Diego. After that, he decided to branch out to other publishing companies as a reporter and editor. In 1995, he and a partner founded East County Online (ECO), the first chain of weekly newspapers with Web sites. ECO featured not only content from six community weeklies but original content, a Web directory of local businesses, reader submissions (now called user-generated content) and a community club (now called virtual community). In 1995, a Wired Magazine poll found that ECO was the 66th most popular news Web site in the world. After Owen's success in pioneering digital publishing at East County Online and holding senior management positions in digital media at the Ventura County Star and Bakersfield Californian, he was hired by Gatehouse Media as Director

In this 113th episode of “E&P Reports, Alan Leveritt publisher of the Arkansas Times and ACLU Senior Staff Attorney Brian Hauss join Editor & Publisher’s (E&P) publisher, Mike Blinder, and E and P contributing editor  Gretchen Peck to talk about a two year battle, that has gained international prominence, between the Times and the state of Arkansas, on the newspapers’ refusal to sign a pledge to support Israel in order to continue receiving advertising dollars from the state university. Also, on the program appears award winning film producer Julia Bacha, who has just completed a documentary on the impact of state legislation designed to penalize individuals and companies that choose to boycott Israel due to its human rights record.

In 2018, news media analyst Ken Doctor penned a column that, in part, read: “Alden Global Capital is making so much money wrecking local journalism, it might not want to stop any time soon.” Now, fewer than five months since the ink dried on Alden Global Capital’s acquisition of the Tribune titles, it’s making a formal play for Lee Enterprises, a digital marketing services company and publisher of local newspapers across 26 U.S. states. The initial offer was for $24/share. The news sent Lee Enterprises stock upward. As E&P’s Publisher Mike Blinder assembled a panel of news media experts on November 23rd to discuss the bid, LEE stock was at $24.10/share. On this 112th episode of E&P Reports, Host Mike Blinder speaks with Gordon Borrell, founder and principal of Borrell Associates; Rick Edmonds, media business analyst for Poynter Institute; Steven Waldman, president and co-founder of Report for America; and Gretchen A. Peck, contributing editor at E&P, about the hedge fund company's intentions. Th

For the past 30 years, Jim Doyle has been helping salespeople make more money as one of the top sales trainers for the broadcast industry. His latest book, Selling with a Servant Heart, outlines ten lessons that ultimately lead to greater joy in sales while also increasing income. Doyle describes the concept by saying: “When you commit to serving customers as a ‘Servant Heart Seller,’ you’ll find more success, greater customer loyalty, and far less churn. And you’ll have a lot more fun, too.” He goes on to add: “Lots of good sellers would describe themselves as 'Customer Focused.' But think about a level that is even above that. ‘Servant Heart Sellers’ would better be described as 'Customer Obsessed.' Obsessed that the products they sell and their work personally provide the absolute best outcomes for the client. They are outcome-focused, not just customer-focused.” In this 111th episode of “E&P Reports,” Publisher Mike Blinder goes one-on-one with Jim Doyle to learn more about the concept of “Servant Hea

On this 110th episode of "E&P Reports," Publisher and Host Mike Blinder sat down with the National Newspapers Association’s (NNA) chair, Brett Wesner, and E&P contributing editor Gretchen Peck to talk about the urgency for advocacy for the Local Journalism Sustainability Act (LJSA). On Friday afternoon, November 5th, word had come that at least part of the LJSA — payroll tax credits for newsrooms — remained in the Build Back Better Reconciliation bill being bandied about in Congress. It’s legislation that the NAA, America’s Newspapers, Report for America and other industry associations have tenaciously lobbied for in Washington, DC, and perhaps to everyone’s surprise, got traction and even a little bipartisan for it. Community newspapers serve an obvious role that most people inherently understand. Their local newspaper — whether they read it in print or online — is the very best source of local information about what’s happening in the community around them and why it should matter to them. A local n

While a student at Southern Methodist University, Adam Darsky was bitten by the "journalism bug" writing for "The Daily Campus," so upon graduation, he took an entry-level job as a sports reporter at a small newspaper outside of Dallas. It wasn't long before he jumped from newspapers to broadcast, landing an internship at the Dallas all-sports radio station. Darsky leaped from radio to TV, beginning his 25-years as a broadcast TV news producer running the prompter and ripping scripts at KXAS-TV in Dallas to producing and management jobs in Savannah, Tucson, Houston and Charlotte. Finally, he wound up in New York City as Executive Producer of the nation’s #1 TV morning show. Today, you'll find Adam Darsky as the new Director of Content for the much-talked-about local news disruptor, TapInto. TapInto is a network of over 90 hyper-local franchised, online-only news websites most in New Jersey, one of the nation's most populated and media-saturated corridors. In this 109th episode of "E&P Reports," Publisher

There are over 550 federally recognized tribal governments and more than 300 Indian reservations in the United States. Tribal reservations are sovereign nations and are not required to comply with many federal or state laws, including freedom of information and open meetings laws. Legally, tribe members enjoy the same constitutional rights as every American, but there is no independent safeguard on reservations to protect those rights, such as freedom of the press.   Since tribal councils own the vast majority of the approximately 200 Native American newspapers, little leeway is given to any analysis of government activity. Reporters are often prohibited from writing critical stories about tribal leaders, and access to tribal records on most reservations is nonexistent. As a result, reporters who dare to question the tribal government will often find themselves out of a job or their newsrooms shut down.   Native American journalists often complain that government ownership of the tribal press runs counter to

As live events slowly return, America's Newspapers' Senior Leadership Conference took place live at the Broadmoor Resort in Colorado Springs. Just under 200 attended sessions on growing audience, maximizing revenue, building a better internal culture for our operations and more. On Monday, October 18th, 2021, Editor & Publisher's participation included the announcement of the 2021 Publisher of the Year recipient: Judi Terzotis, followed by the moderation of a robust lunchtime panel discussion by news publishing leaders on their views and predictions on the future of the industry.   Topics covered during this lively discussion included: Print frequency and what it may look like in the years to come Should Google & Facebook be made to pay for the content they monetize from our journalists? The future of funding our newsrooms and can local journalism survive on just ad and reader revenue? Finding talent and what it will take to recruit and keep employees The return of local ownership and how this impac

In September of 2021, Cherry Road Media, a Parsippany, New Jersey-based technology company, announced it had acquired 20 newspapers from the Gannett company, bringing their total count of publications owned to 27. Their list of titles now stretches across seven states: Kansas, Arkansas, Nebraska, Iowa, Missouri, Minnesota and Alabama. Cherry Road CEO Jeremy Gulban stated in a recent press release that "This was his way to give back to local communities by supporting media houses that add so much value to our daily lives but are suffering the brunt of a digital age by losing subscriptions." In the October 2021 E&P cover story entitled: "Under New Management," Sara April, from Dirks, Van Essen & April, the media merger and acquisition firm that represented Gannett in the sale of the 20 properties to Gulban, described the current mergers-and-acquisition landscape as "dynamic," noting that buyer trends have changed in the past three years. April stated: "Before that, the industry saw a lot of large corpor